In well-known print media handling systems, an apparatus for distributing print media can be integrated within, or modularly attached, to an image forming device such as, for example, a copier, printer, and facsimile, to name a few. Various design configurations of print media handling systems exist in order to provide flexibility for custom use.
In one conventional arrangement, an apparatus for distributing print media is positioned between an image forming device at one end and a plurality of stationary output bins at the opposite end. The apparatus for distributing print media can include an accumulator sized to house the print media, for example, 8½″×11″ size paper, while the print media for a particular print job is accumulated prior to being ejected to an output bin. Once the print media is accumulated or undergoes a finishing operation, or both, the accumulator can move in linear fashion between several vertical positions which correspond to the adjacent output bins. The cost of such an arrangement can be relatively high and the overall surface area, or footprint, of such a system is typically large.
In another arrangement, the print media handling system can be an integrated function of the output bins. A plurality of movable output bins can be attached to the image forming device to receive and accumulate print media ejected from the image forming device. The plurality of output bins can move, typically vertically, to alternatively receive print media from a stationary outlet of the image forming device. If the image forming device is capable of serving several users networked on a system, and can produce facsimiles, printouts from a computer, and reproduced photocopies from an original, the user may not know the location of the job in the output bins and will most likely not know when the output bins will move. Thus, a disadvantage of such an arrangement is that the movement of the output bins may cause alarm or even injury to a user.